A heart of fire
by oliviasbizzaremind
Summary: Naruto and some new buddies take the chunin exam. Konaha may not survive


My first real Naruto story so don't bite. Obviously I don't own him..

Four things should be taken as fact for this story.

1. Sasuke is redeemed and back in Konaha (it could happen people)

2. Upon his return the council automatically granted him the rank of chunin.

3. The council refused to promote Naruto, despite him bringing Sasuke back.

Naruto is being forced to wait to take the chunin exam.

4. All of Naruto's friends think it's bullshit, Especially Sasuke.

A Heart of Fire.

Konaha was a buzz. Not only had the chunin exams once again returned but, it was the sixteenth anniversary of the defeat of thedemon fox . The traditional festival was in full swing and the streets swelled with citizens and shinobi. This year there were many foreign ninja enjoying the legendary "fox festival". If the preoccupied villagers had stopped to notice they would have seen a very formidable group of teenagers gathering in what appeared to be a ramen stand.

Ichiru's ramen stand was filled nearly to capacity. Primarily with the shinobi that were once known as the rookie twelve. The tension was palatable. There was an underlying current something akin to rage. The sudden arrival of an odd and almost feminine ninja broke the atmosphere and the group of long time comrades descended upon the young man.

"Sai!! The words were said by Uchiha Sasuke. One of the deadliest shinobi alive. He was, to put it lightly, livid. "What the hell did the old buzzards say?"

" He is not being allowed to test" Sai said without emotion. Sai thought perhaps the Uchiha may have had something else to say but any response was drowned out by the loud disapproval of the rest of Narutos friends. Three long deep barks from Akamaru silenced the din. All heads turned to Kiba for a translation.

"He wants to know what farfetched trivial bullshit the biased old bastards have come up with as an excuse this time" He provided. Akamaru nodded confirming Kiba's correct translation.

Sai sighed he was absolutely certain the answer to that question would not be well received. " He has no team". Once again there was the indignant roar of Narutos closest friends describing in detail what the council could do with itself. Even the stoic Huuga Neji and the quiet Huuga Hinata were shouting.

Only Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura were silent. The two quietly looked at each other and with an almost imperceptible nod they rose as one and exited the restaurant . Only one thought repeating itself through both of their minds,

'HOW DARE THEY!!'

The meeting room of the high council of the leaf was situated on the seventh floor of the Hokages offices. The council had disbanded for the day and were beginning to clear out of the building. The last thing they expected was for the heavy wooden doors to be blown off their hinges.

When the dust cleared they saw the shadowed silhouettes of Sasuke and Sakura. They had been expecting this. With the passage of time the demon boy had told all his friends of his "furry little problem". The council elders had hoped that the discovery of the boys true nature would drive the brash young shinobi away from his evil influence but, much to their chagrin, it only made their bond to him more intense.

This was a problem. The containers closest friends included the heirs of several of the most powerful and influential families in Konaha. If these bonds remained unsevered the boys boast of becoming the next hokage would become a serious possibility. They weren't fools, it was obvious how powerful Uzumaki was becoming.

He was trained by the great sanin Jiraiya and it showed. He seemed more intelligent and calmer despite their efforts to keep him uneducated and frightened as a child. They adopted a different tactic. They would separate him and his colleaguesby rank and thus by mission. It appeared that his team as well as his closest friends (who walked in shortly after the door was blown down) simply weren't accepting this.

" We wish to file a complaint" Shino said in all seriousness.

The highest of the elders was standing closest to the group and said simply. " This extremely disrespectful act is in no way an appropriate means to do so". The former rookies collectively bristled. "Uzumaki Naruto is a hero of Konaha! He has saved this city several times over. He is almost solely responsible for the allied status we now have with wind country. He has within himself held at bay a demonic force that given the opportunity would reduce this city to ash. He has done all these things with little more than his heart and a will of fire and he has done this without complaint. Even with all he has done you fools still see fit to deny him even the chance to attain the rank he so deserves" Neji said with disdain.

The old council member knew better than to scoff. The situation had to be handled extremely carefully. The Huuga boy was one of the affluent members of that clan despite his being from the branch side. His word held a heavy sway with his uncle who was the Huuga clan head. Worse yet, the young future head of that clan was now standing beside her cousin looking at the council members defiantly. It was a known fact that she not only respected the vile little demon shell she actually admired him.

"This council does not deny young Uzumaki is a genin of great talent."The old man lied. " But, the chunin exams require a three man team. Naruto has no such team and no qualifying team is in need of a third member, therefore he cannot be tested."

"WE ARE HIS TEAM!!" Sasuke and Sakura snarled at the same time. Sakura put a hand on Sasuke to calm him. She took a deep calming breath and said "We're his team and we'll test with him"

"Obviously that is not a possibility as you are already chunin, other villages will see it as an unfair advantage. This discussion is closed. Until a place on a team is available Uzumaki cannot test."

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!! Sasuke snarls.

" Unfortunately they can" said a familiar woman's voice. All heads turned toward the buxom, blond haired, master medic of Konaha that was the Fifth Hokage. " I'm afraid that as long as Naruto does not have a Genin team to test with the council is in it's full rights to deny him"

" Tsunade sensei!!"

" But, Gondaime sama!!"

The Fifth Hokage silenced the cries of all of Naruto's closest friends and his precious teammates with a wave of her hand. The council seemed very proud of itself. To force even Tsunade, who cherishes and protects the little beast, to side against him would serve to wound and discourage him.

" You see, Even the Hokage-sama understands the situation. Unfortunate as it is"

the old man added soothingly. "Indeed I do, Naruto was without a team to test with and therefore could not be allowed to fight.

HAPPILY, this is not the case anymore!!

"NANI!!" Every other person in the room shouted.

"Gaara, Kazekage of the sand village has sent several genins to enter the exams. Among them there are two special candidates and he has specifically requested Naruto be their third as he does not trust anyone else." the Hokage finished smirking. "To deny his request would be a terrible insult"The council elders took on a rather green hue and several sputtered indignantly as the Hokage lead the group of young ninjas out of the room. " Find Naruto and tell him he is to report to my office immediately his new teammates arrive in a little less than an hour" Tsunade said to no one in particular.

Sasuke and Sakura jumped immediately into action. Shadowed by the rest of the group.

"Where does Naruto live?" Lee asked from somewhere in the back. For some reason the question caused Sasuke to grunt and move faster. Lee noticed a serious almost angry look come across Sakura's face. " He lives in the shades" Ino, Kiba, Neji, Ten Ten, and Lee audibly gasped. The shades were simply the single most dangerous place in Konaha. You're average citizen would avoid the area even in daylight hours and even Anbu shinobi would not enter the shades after dark.

"Kami, Why would Naruto move to such a place?" Ino asked shaking her head, "Knowing him he did it as some kind of weird training"

" Naruto-Kun has lived in the shades since he was five years old" Hinata said quietly. " since before the academy"

" I've been told by several of my Anbu sempai that he was able to out run and out maneuver them since he was about six. They smile warmly about it now but, they are ashamed of themselves for trying to hurt a child. He forgave them. It's amazing that he is as he is considering the life he's lead" Neji said softly.

"There" Sasuke motioned gesturing to the tall building looming before them. The word dilapidated came to mind. The bricks and mortar were cracked and mildewed. In many places they were missing all together. The fire escape looked entirely hazardous. It was rusted and barely clinging to the side of the building. Sasuke landed by the main entrance,which was a steel reinforced door. He pulled out a small key and unlocked the door. Neji had to help him pull it open. "This way" They walked up rickety stairs passed stained walls to the second to highest floor.

Sasuke walked up to the door and rapped on it twice shouting " Oi, Dobe!!" When Naruto didn't answer Sakura pulled out another key and let herself (and everyone else) in. Tenten wasn't sure exactly what she was expecting when she walked into Narutos place but, it certainly wasn't this. It was spotless. Every surface of the small apartment was scrubbed till it shone. Naruto's (admittedly sparse) belongings were meticulously organized and preserved.

Tenten realized that she had expected a mess. Almost every single male she knew lived in a startling state of filth (Even Neji). His wild personality had left the impression that they would walk into a pigsty. She noticed more than one of her colleagues bore a similar expression.

Kiba, who looked extremely uncomfortable, turned to Sasuke and said, " Man, are you sure this is the right apartment?"

"Hn" was Sasuke's verbose reply. Then he proceeded to shout "DOBE!!"

Then the voice that Hinata loved most in the world called down from somewhere above, " Teme, Is that you? I'm on the roof." The large group turned to the window thinking they would use the fire escape to get to the roof. " Not that way," Sakura said, "People who value their lives refrain from using the fire escape" A good look at the afore mentioned fire escape and it was easy to see that it appeared to be held onto the building by a hope and a prayer. As one the group turned to the door.

Two more flights of stairs and they found themselves on the roof. Ino simply stared mouth agape. She had on occasion heard Sakura say that Naruto gardened as a hobby. That he had even given Kakashi a plant and taught him how to keep it alive. Ino had expected to find a quaint little garden somewhere on the roof. The roof barley contained his garden and she felt herself gasp.

There was every kind of plant one could imagine and a great many that one couldn't imagine in ones wildest dreams. Ferns hung from wooden arches and wire hooks, In every variation from gold to blue to the incredibly rare RED. There was a stand with different bonsais growing happily. Ivy's and creepers grew across every available surface and spilled over the edges of the building.

Then there were the flowers.

A thousand different hues dappled onto delicate, beautiful blooms. The plants on which they clung proving to be every bit as lovely and exotic at the flowers they showcased. Ino had seen flowers all her life. She thought that she knew them well and had a great appreciation for them but, the flowers that came to her families shop came on trucks. She understood that she was a seller looking into the world of a grower. She liked it, it was a world of lush greens and beautiful colors and moist, rich, fresh air. She was not the only one who was mesmerized. Everyone (with the exception of Sasuke and Sakura) was gravitating to a different corner of the roof. Sakura looked about for a moment and called out to Naruto again.

" Over in the nursery" He called back.

There were two greenhouses and the rest of team seven started ambling over toward the one sitting furthest to the left. Even through the thick glass Ino could see the outline of flowers and a spiky blonde head. She quickly fell into step behind Sakura. Ino knew as soon as she entered that this was Naruto's work area. Saplings and sprouts peeked through rich brown earth and herbs that grew thick just outside the door were bound in tight little bundles and drying on a clapboard wall.

Naruto was standing with his back to the entry. He was facing a work bench, delicately removing blotchy pick flowers from more than a dozen small scraggy plants. He carefully collected the detached blossoms and dropped them into a large jar tightening the lid as soon as he finished. Ino noticed that there were several other flower filled jars sitting near a small crate. A very large, rather ugly, black cat was curled up on top of the crate. She took another step forward and the thing shot up and turned toward her. Ino realized that what she had taken to be a tragically ugly cat was in fact a fifty pound rat. Ino screamed.

Team seven knew better than to interrupt Naruto while he was gardening. It still boggled Sasuke's mind that his friend could yell at enemy ninja and ten thousand year old demons without blinking. He could completely ignore protocol and insult foreign dignitaries (for shock) and his hokage (out of endearment) and think nothing of it but, God help you and the horse you rode in on if you messed with the mulch. Gardening, to Naruto, was serious business. Ino's scream had almost caused Naruto to drop his jar ...almost. Sasuke watched as the Dobe carefully set the Jar down on his workbench He saw Naruto deliberately squash his temper before turning around. Ino was still screaming.

"INO, SHUT UP!!" Naruto shouted over her caterwauling. She didn't stop.

Naruto wondered if she'd pass out from lack of oxygen. Several of the others attempted to calm the blonde Yamanaka but, she kept screaming. The rat (who looked rather annoyed) was covering his sensitive ears with his paws. After a solid two minutes of Ino screaming hysterically Lee walked up, apologized, and slapped the woman across the face.

" I AM SORRY INO CHAN, I WILL RUN AROUND THE CITY TWENTY TIMES ON MY KNEES TO DISPLAY MY SHAME" Lee shouted in his typical fashion

" There is little reason for that as I believe the woman may have begun to hyperventilate had you not struck her when you did."

"THAT IS NOT EXCUSE FOR STRIKING A FRIEND IN NEED!!" Lee answered no one in particular.

"I believe she was in need of being slapped silly so, you simply filled that particular function…bravo"

Lee stopped to consider this when he realized that he didn't recognize the voice that he'd just been conversing with. He looked around and realized everyone was staring.He had been defending himself to a fifty pound rat. He fainted.

" well that was just uncalled for" The Rat said.

Naruto shook his head. He realized that ALL of his friends were standing in the small greenhouse…. Almost certainly altering the carefully monitored temperatures within. Moving quickly he took a burlap sack off a hook on the clapboard wall and gently stacked his jars of flower blossoms in it. "Alright everybody lets get back to the apartment" Naruto shouted as he started to exit the green house in the hopes that they would follow suite.

"Naruto, DUDE!! There's a big ass rat right behind you!! Don't look, don't look don't look!! Akamaru can take him!!….. Don't move" Kiba shouted conspiratorially.

" That is highly unlikely as such an attack would constitute a breach of our clan peace treaty." The rat answered when Kiba realized that Akamaru wasn't moving to attack the animal. " It would start a clan war, besides….I could eat him." Akamaru barked sounding quite annoyed and Kiba translated

" He says that the rat tells the truth and he can't break the treaty … Oh, and 'YOU CAN'T EAT ME BEEE-ACH" The rat mumbled something about indigestion. Naruto huffed and stood between the rat and Akamaru. He looked over at the rat and said " I'm sorry about this buddy" The rat shrugged his shoulders which was odd to watch. " I'm quite accustomed to this reaction my friend"

The blonde boy then turned to the gathered crowd (who were still in his greenhouse) and smiled, " Everyone this is Prince Nicco, he and his family live in the building they're very good, very old friends of mine. Nic these are my friends, You know Sasuke and Sakura," The rat, Nic, nodded at him,

" This is Lee," Naruto said pointing at the unconscious boy. " and Ino," he pointed at the still gasping Yamanaka, " I really don't know what her problem is," he whispered. Nicco looked at Ino and answered " A phobia of some sort I imagine… You're a Yamanaka correct?" Nic asked addressing Ino, She nodded obviously terrified. " My cousin lives in your flower shed" Ino fainted. The rat looked pleased with himself.

"Nic" Sakura said drawing the rats attention. It turned to look at her " Ah, Pink haired girl, I greet you" The large rat bowed gracefully. She smiled at him. " Does your cousin really live in Ino's flower shed?" Sakura said smirking. " Yes, but I failed to mention that my cousin is a field mouse named Tiny"

Naruto sniggered and walked past his friends toward his apartment. "come on guys I've got enough ramen for everybody" Sasuke huffed " Dobe, you have enough ramen to feed the population of Suna" Still Sasuke started to follow his friend.

" You say that like it's a bad thing! Ramen is good for the soul!!"

Exactly seven minutes later those friends that were able to move under their own power were sitting in Narutos living area. That they all seemed to fit in there comfortably was a testament to the quirkiness of physics. Instant Ramen sat in a bakers dozen on Narutos Very clean, if very small kitchen table. In spite of themselves his friends walked up and each accepted a cup. They were all still eating long after Naruto had inhaled his two.

" So, Not that I don't like the company but, what's everyone doing here?"

The group collectively gasped, " Holy crap with all this mess with Ino and Lee we all forgot!!" Choji shouted. " Naruto, The Hokage wants you to report to her inside of the hour!" Naruto sighed, " Oh, I told her I'd be done today I guess she's just in a rush.. I'll get going then".

" Naruto, What are you talking about? Tsunade shishou has a new mission for you!" Sakura asked in a rather demanding tone. " What do you mean you're already done? " What new mission? I thought Obaa-chan just wanted these" He said gesturing towards the mysterious flower filled jars. Sakura's eyes suddenly widened. "Naruto! Are those the Lung blossoms?"

Chogi's chopsticks stopped midair in front of his face as the word lung blossoms repeated in his mind. Choji did not consider himself worldly but, everybody knew about lung blossoms. The flowers of the plant were truly strong medicine. All of the elemental countries greatly prized them. It was believed they could cure any disease. That belief was well founded but, the plants were notoriously hard to grow and the flowers worth twenty times their weight in gold. If Naruto was holding lung blossoms what he had in his hand could buy and sell the better half of Konaha.

Naruto turned toward Sakura," They're a hybrid, I cross pollinated a lung blossom plant with a blue tea rose plant. They're not as potent as lung blossoms ( about one third) but, the plant blooms three times a year and has triple the amount of flowers. Where a true lung blossom plant blooms once every three years and only produces about ten blossoms" Naruto explained as he started out the door. He missed out on the various expressions that were staring at him. Sasuke understood the confusion of the rest of the gathered shinobi. Naruto was Naruto but, Naruto gardening did take some getting used to.

Tsunade was annoyed. First off she hadn't expected every shinobi in the room to go off and deliver her message to Naruto, second that message was to be given the better part of an hour ago, "WHERE THE HELL IS HE?" she wondered aloud.

" I'm here Obaa-chan" , Under normal circumstances she might have punched him into the next building with the forceful blow she sent his way but, he sidestepped her and walked over to the large desk in the middle of the room. She was confused up until she saw him gently set the satchel full of jars on her desk. 'gardening' she thought

" They're ready Obaa-chan" he said as if he hadn't just narrowly missed her sound beating. " These are the closest I've been able to get without stunting the plants growth to uselessness." He said with a smile in his voice. Tsunade looked at what amounted to a kings ransom worth of lung blossom hybrids.

" Naruto, This is much more than the hospital can afford to buy…" The words had no sooner been spoken then Tsunade regretted them. The day of Jiraiya's will reading had almost killed her. His loss was a burden that she hadn't expected to feel. If she had been suffering an unholy torment then Naruto looked as if he were in hell. His eyes were dull and his body shook as if trying to restrain the demon had become a physical thing.

Jiraiya had left her several items of great sentimental value and the rights to all his books save one. Everything else he owned, from his home in Konaha and all it possessed to the vast majority of his wealth he left to Naruto. Naruto had become Konaha's most eligible bachelor overnight and he despised it with a passion. He'd blatantly refused to move out of his apartment and as far as she could tell hadn't so much as looked at his new homestead from a distance. He also hadn't touched a penny of his inheritance. The mention of money always made him twitchy and she waited for his reaction.

" Obaa-chan, This is just a mission to me, besides these are not pure lung blossoms" He said and then he turned and smiled at her. It broke her heart. Those villagers and shinobi that did not know Naruto would have thought nothing of the goofy grin he was flashing.

Those who called him friend would question it and those who saw the sun-kissed shinobi as family would see that he wasn't smiling at all. Narutos eyes were the window to his soul and when he suffered he squeezed them shut so no one could see. Tsunade had noticed some time ago that Naruto rarely smiled anymore.

Naruto tried with all his skill to keep the gnawing, tearing grief in his heart from showing but, he knew that his eyes would betray him. He knew that his mask no longer fooled those closest to him but, even team seven did not realize the depth of despair he was wallowing in. A lifetime of sorrows had finally caught up with him and he was drowning. None the less, he was Konaha's number one most unpredictable ninja, he would keep them guessing until he took his last breath. He would give anything for his friends but, his pain was his own. He found his resolve and shook off the sadness for the moment.

"Oi, Baa-chan, Sakura-chan said you had another mission for me. Is that true?"

Tsunade thought it was a rather crafty change of subject. " Yeah, I do… It has to do with the chunin exams" she said. The young blonde tilted his head in a fashion that reminded the female hokage of a curious well… fox.

Outside the Hokage building the rest of team seven along with Hinata and Kiba were waiting around to here about Naruto's new mission. Most of the sand ninja had actually arrived several weeks ago and Sasuke wondered aloud who Gaara's special initiates were.

" Who cares! They're probably some old school buddies of Kankuro's" Kiba said laughing at his own little joke. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the young, Dog clan, warrior.

" Naruto's bond with Gaara-sama is one of the most intense bonds I've ever witnessed" Sai said mostly to himself. " If Gaara is drawing upon that bond… that trust … it is certain to be a matter of great importance"

Sasuke was annoyed with himself, Naruto was his best friend and brother, He had no doubt that their 'bond' and the bond formed by team seven was the strongest bond either of them had. He realized that whenever Sai spoke of Naruto's 'bonds' it made him twitch. It occurred to him that he had never really forgiven Sai for being his 'replacement' on team seven. He listened for a moment while Kiba prattled on and on about the general cleanliness of sand shinobi and their small reproductive organs. About the time Kakashi asked Kiba how he became so familiar with such things, Sasuke noticed a commotion coming from the easternmost gate.


End file.
